Liquid crystal display with domain-defining members and separate opening in the common electrode overlapping the gate or data lines

Abstract

A liquid crystal display is provided, which includes: a first substrate; a first signal line formed on the first substrate; a second signal line formed on the first substrate and intersecting the first signal line; a pixel electrode including a plurality of partitions; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line, the data line, and the pixel electrode; a second substrate facing the second substrate; a common electrode formed on the second substrate and having an opening facing the first or the second signal line; and first and second domain defining members that define a plurality of domains in the liquid crystal display and are dispose on the first and the second substrates, respectively, the second domain defining member disposed on the second substrate and separated from the opening.

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:
 a first substrate; 
 a first signal line formed on the first substrate; 
 a second signal line formed on the first substrate and intersecting the first signal line; 
 a pixel electrode including a plurality of partitions; 
 a thin film transistor connected to the first signal line, the second signal line, and the pixel electrode; 
 a second substrate facing the first substrate; 
 a common electrode formed on the second substrate and having an opening facing the first or the second signal line; and 
 first and second domain defining members that define a plurality of domains in the liquid crystal display and are disposed on the first and the second substrates, respectively, wherein the opening is disposed separately from the second domain defining members in the second substrate. 
 
   
   
     2. The liquid crystal display of  claim 1 , wherein the first domain defining members include a first cutout provided at the pixel electrode and the second domain defining members include a second cutout provided at the common electrode. 
   
   
     3. The liquid crystal display of  claim 2 , wherein a distance between the second cutout and the opening ranges from about three to six microns. 
   
   
     4. A liquid crystal display comprising:
 a first substrate; 
 a gate line formed on the first substrate; 
 a gate insulating layer formed on the gate line; 
 a semiconductor layer formed on the gate insulating layer; 
 a data line formed on the gate insulating layer and intersecting the gate line; 
 a drain electrode formed on the semiconductor layer at least in part; 
 a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode and having a first cutout; 
 a second substrate facing the first substrate; and 
 a common electrode formed on the second substrate and having a second cutout facing the pixel electrode and a first opening that faces the gate line or the data line and overlaps the entire width of the gate line or the data line. 
 
   
   
     5. The liquid crystal display of  claim 4 , further comprising a storage electrode line located on the same plane as the gate line and overlapping the pixel electrode. 
   
   
     6. The liquid crystal display of  claim 4 , wherein the common electrode further has a second opening separated from the first opening along the gate lines or the data line. 
   
   
     7. The liquid crystal display of  claim 6 , wherein distances between the second cutout and the first and the second openings and between the first opening and the second opening range from about three to six microns. 
   
   
     8. The liquid crystal display of  claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of ohmic contacts disposed between the semiconductor layer and the data line and between the semiconductor layer and the drain electrode. 
   
   
     9. The liquid crystal display of  claim 8 , wherein the ohmic contacts and the semiconductor layer extend along the data line and the drain electrode. 
   
   
     10. The liquid crystal display of  claim 9 , wherein the semiconductor layer has substantially the same planar shape as the data line and the drain electrode except for a portion disposed between the data line and the drain electrode.